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A gene co-expression network-based analysis of multiple brain tissues reveals novel genes and molecular pathways underlying major depression.

ABSTRACT: Major depression is a common and severe psychiatric disorder with a highly polygenic genetic architecture. Genome-wide association studies have successfully identified multiple independent genetic loci that harbour variants associated with major depression, but the exact causal genes and biological mechanisms are largely unknown. Tissue-specific network approaches may identify molecular mechanisms underlying major depression and provide a biological substrate for integrative analyses. We provide a framework for the identification of individual risk genes and gene co-expression networks using genome-wide association summary statistics and gene expression information across multiple human brain tissues and whole blood. We developed a novel gene-based method called eMAGMA that leverages tissue-specific eQTL information to identify 99 biologically plausible risk genes associated with major depression, of which 58 are novel. Among these novel associations is Complement Factor 4A (C4A), recently implicated in schizophrenia through its role in synaptic pruning during postnatal development. Major depression risk genes were enriched in gene co-expression modules in multiple brain tissues and the implicated gene modules contained genes involved in synaptic signalling, neuronal development, and cell transport pathways. Modules enriched with major depression signals were strongly preserved across brain tissues, but were weakly preserved in whole blood, highlighting the importance of using disease-relevant tissues in genetic studies of psychiatric traits. We identified tissue-specific genes and gene co-expression networks associated with major depression. Our novel analytical framework can be used to gain fundamental insights into the functioning of the nervous system in major depression and other brain-related traits.

SUBMITTER: Gerring ZF

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6658115 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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A gene co-expression network-based analysis of multiple brain tissues reveals novel genes and molecular pathways underlying major depression.

Gerring Zachary F ZF Gamazon Eric R ER Derks Eske M EM

PLoS genetics 20190715 7

Major depression is a common and severe psychiatric disorder with a highly polygenic genetic architecture. Genome-wide association studies have successfully identified multiple independent genetic loci that harbour variants associated with major depression, but the exact causal genes and biological mechanisms are largely unknown. Tissue-specific network approaches may identify molecular mechanisms underlying major depression and provide a biological substrate for integrative analyses. We provide ...[more]

PMID: 31306407

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Project description:Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease affecting the central nervous system, characterised by neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. Fatigue and depression are common, debilitating, and intertwined symptoms in people with relapsing-remitting MS (pwRRMS). An increased understanding of brain changes and mechanisms underlying fatigue and depression in RRMS could lead to more effective interventions and enhancement of quality of life. To elucidate the relationship between depression and fatigue and brain connectivity in pwRRMS we conducted a systematic review. Searched databases were PubMed, Web-of-Science and Scopus. Inclusion criteria were: studied participants with RRMS (n ≥ 20; ≥ 18 years old) and differentiated between MS subtypes; published between 2001-01-01 and 2023-01-18; used fatigue and depression assessments validated for MS; included brain structural, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) or diffusion MRI (dMRI). Sixty studies met the criteria: 18 dMRI (15 fatigue, 5 depression) and 22 fMRI (20 fatigue, 5 depression) studies. The literature was heterogeneous; half of studies reported no correlation between brain connectivity measures and fatigue or depression. Positive findings showed that abnormal cortico-limbic structural and functional connectivity was associated with depression. Fatigue was linked to connectivity measures in cortico-thalamic-basal-ganglial networks. Additionally, both depression and fatigue were related to altered cingulum structural connectivity, and functional connectivity involving thalamus, cerebellum, frontal lobe, ventral tegmental area, striatum, default mode and attention networks, and supramarginal, precentral, and postcentral gyri. Qualitative analysis suggests structural and functional connectivity changes, possibly due to axonal and/or myelin loss, in the cortico-thalamic-basal-ganglial and cortico-limbic network may underlie fatigue and depression in pwRRMS, respectively, but the overall results were inconclusive, possibly explained by heterogeneity and limited number of studies. This highlights the need for further studies including advanced MRI to detect more subtle brain changes in association with depression and fatigue. Future studies using optimised imaging protocols and validated depression and fatigue measures are required to clarify the substrates underlying these symptoms in pwRRMS.

Dataset Information

A gene co-expression network-based analysis of multiple brain tissues reveals novel genes and molecular pathways underlying major depression.

Publications

A gene co-expression network-based analysis of multiple brain tissues reveals novel genes and molecular pathways underlying major depression.

Similar Datasets

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